Have you changed your sheets recently? The answer says a lot about your sex life

Growing up, my Sunday nights followed a strict routine. I’d have a bath and change my sheets before I settled down in front of the TV, so my Mom could braid my hair while as we watched The Beachcombers together.

There’s something both comforting and luxurious about sliding into a freshly made bed. When I left home at eighteen, I did a lot of things to rebel against my parents – I drank, I ate junk food and I didn’t always clean my kitchen very well — but when it came to my bedding, I changed it religiously every seven to 10 days. I just assumed that everybody did the same.

Enter: the boy bedroom. While in university, I discovered that not everyone shared my same passion for bedroom hygiene – in particular, the young men I was dating. At the time, I encountered more than my share of dank dorm rooms, musty sheets and (shudder) unidentified linen stains.

I thought these days were behind me, but according to a new study, our bedroom hygiene practices may still be lacking.

Mattress Advisor asked over 1,000 people about their bedroom hygiene, and found that the average number of days adults go without washing their sheets is 24.4. Over three weeks. Broken down by gender, men tend to go longer (29.6 days), while women average 19.4 days before changing their sheets.

Overall, relationship status seemed to correlate with more frequent washing. Respondents in a relationship had the shortest average time between pillow cleanings, while married folks had the cleanest record for sheets. The same could not be said for respondents who drooled regularly, however: They waited a baffling 31.8 days, on average, before changing their pillowcases. Yikes.

While, single men fessed up to particularly questionable sheet cleaning practices, going nearly 45 days before changing their bedding on average (perhaps the reason why they’re still single), if there was the chance sex might occur, over half of single men reported washing their sheets beforehand.

However, when it comes to changing their sheets after sex, men typically wait an average of 11.7 days, compared to women who typically wash their sheets within 4.3 days.

Whether you find these stats unsurprising or unacceptable is entirely up to you. Survey respondents had their own limits for unwashed bedding, however, claiming that it could take up to 35 days before they’d consider their unwashed bedding “gross.”

As Mattress Advisor notes, “their disgust past this point is justified: Five weeks of unwashed sheets can allow for a pretty significant accumulation of unsavoury particles. With the average person shedding about 10 grams of skin each day, you’d be piling up a veritable feast for dust mites in that time.” Not to mention the build-up of oil, dirt and potential bodily fluids.

As humans, we spend approximately one third of our lives in bed. We owe it to our mental and physical health (and our sex lives!) to create a bedroom space that is as clean, comfortable and healthy as possible.

With Valentine’s Day quickly approaching, here’s a few things you can do to make sure your bedroom is in tip top shape:

Think of your bedroom like a luxury hotel suite.

There’s a reason why we like hotel sex. Two words: thread count. You deserve to feel like a VIP guest in your own bedroom. Treat yourself to the highest thread count sheets that you can afford and keep them clean for that luxurious, freshly changed hotel feel. There’s nothing sexy about nasal congestion, so vacuum or wipe down your headboard regularly to keep it dust and grime free. (Experts recommend washing your sheets, pillow cases and headboard at least once a week.)

Keep condoms and sex accessories readily available.

If you catch yourself frantically reaching under your mattress or scrambling around your bedroom in search of condoms, lubricant or that vibrator that you swear you “just saw” – you’re doing things wrong. To stay in the moment, keep all of these items readily stocked and within reach (preferably in a nightstand or some kind of container) so you can get it on, stress free.

Rid the space of distractions.

We have busy lives with many competing priorities. Chances are, you’re probably going to have a harder time getting in the mood if your bedroom is dominated by piles of laundry, unfinished work and other distractions. I’m a firm proponent of the Field of Dreams “build it and they will come,” philosophy. Create a bedroom space that’s specifically for sleep and sex, and the rest will follow.

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